Das–Naglieri cognitive assessment system
CAS development began with an attempt to offer an alternative to the IQ test (Das, Kirby & Jarman, 1975,[1] 1979[2]).
The latter provides two theoretical bases, one of them in Luria (1966)[6] and by default, the 4 PASS processes) and the other in Cattell-Horn-Carroll model (CHC) which is essentially an elaboration of fluid and crystallized intelligence (McGrew 2005[7]).
[11] Additional details on the origin of each of the 12 tests in CAS have been discussed at some length in Das, Naglieri &Kirby (1994)[3] and more recently in a review by McCrea (2009).
At the top of each page is a legend that indicates how letters relate to simple codes (e.g., A = OX; B = XX; C = OO).
It requires both nonverbal and verbal processing for the analyses and synthesis of logical and grammatical components of language and comprehension of word relationships.
In this subtest, the child is presented with six drawings, arranged in a specific spatial manner, and a printed question (e.g., show me the triangle to the left of the circle).
Speech Rate (Ages 5 to 7) is an 8-item timed subtest that requires the child to repeat a string of 3 common words, such as dog-girl-book, over and over again as fast as possible until asked to stop.
Similarly, CAS tests have been used for understanding, assessment of and intervention with educational problems associated with reading disabilities (Das, 2009[15] ) such as autism, attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (Naglieri, 2005[11]).
Deserving of special mention is the use of CAS tests for fair assessment of minorities (Naglieri, 2005[11]) and First Nation children whose chronic weakness in reading has been identified as a successive processing deficit compounded by poor home literacy (Das, Janzen & Georgiou, 2007[17]) both of which can be improved through PASS-related intervention (Hayward, Das & Janzen, 2007[18]).
Additionally, CAS with supplementary tests has been found useful for research related to executive decision making in management (Das, Kar, & Parrila, 1996[19]).
CAS in Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Castillian), Norwegian and Swedish are commercially available.
The CAS meets at least two challenges, first in terms of its factor-analytic purity (Naglieri & Das, 1997 Interpretive handbook), and second in extending its scope by supplementary tests, especially for assessment of Executive Functions.
The CAS Interpretive Handbook, (Naglieri and Das, 1997[9]) reported information about the factor structure of the CAS providing evidence that the PASS four-factor solution was the best solution based on the convergence of factor-analytic results, clinical utility of the four separate scores, evidence of strategy use and theoretical interpretation of the subtests.
[3] In regard to Executive Functions, one would notice that elements of it are already included in CAS : Expressive attention (Stroop) = inhibition of response; Planned Connection (Trails) = shifting.
